Ex-Rutgers Student Released After Serving 20 Days Of 30-Day Sentence

Dharun Ravi walked out of a New Jersey jail this morning after serving 20 days of the 30-day sentence he was given for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate at Rutgers University in 2010.

The case drew national attention after it became known that the roommate, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide soon after learning about what Ravi had done and that Ravi had told others about it.

Ravi was not charged in connection with Clementi’s death. Instead, he was convicted on charges of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy.

“Ravi had 10 days knocked off his jail sentence for good behavior, in accordance with state regulations, said Edmond Cicchi, warden of the Middlesex County jail,” The Star-Ledger reports.

He still must serve three years probation and perform 300 hours of community service. Prosecutors, meanwhile, are appealing Ravi’s sentence. They wanted it to be more severe. According to the Star-Ledger, that appeal could take up to two years to work its way through New Jersey’s courts.

According to The Associated Press, “federal immigration authorities said Monday that Ravi will not be deported to his native India. He lived there until he was 5 years old and remains a citizen, though he is in the United States legally.” Ravi is now 20 years old.